Christopher McQuarrie is now the frontrunner to direct Mission: Impossible 5

It looks like the next installment of the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE franchise is gaining some steam, as Paramount, J.J. Abrams, and Tom Cruise are keen on bringing in writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, who just wrapped JACK REACHER with Cruise. It's not the first time the two have collaborated, with McQuarrie writing VALKYRIE and developing the now dead TOP GUN 2 for Cruise.

McQuarrie is perhaps best known for THE USUAL SUSPECTS, which he wrote and Bryan Singer directed, catapulting both of them into the spotlight. McQuarrie went on to direct the supremely underrated THE WAY OF THE GUN in 2000, but hasn't directed anything else until this December's JACK REACHER. However, in the last few years, McQuarrie has been banging away on the keyboard, churning out scripts for Singer's JACK THE GIANT SLAYER, THE WOLVERINE, and Cruise's currently filming ALL YOU NEED IS KILL with director Doug Liman. He's also in development on an adaptation of Tom Clancy's long-gestating WITHOUT REMORSE.

Heading into the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE franchise could be the massive breakout for the writer/director, launching him into the A-list. For Cruise, it seems he's found a strong collaborator and is applying the "if it aint' broke" model to the relationship. Personally, I love the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE franchise, with the latest, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL being my favorite of the series thus far. I welcome as many as they can make, as long as they continue to progress as they have.